6 February 2008
Ancient woodland saved from concrete!
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust), and Conservation Glamorgan are celebrating news that Mexican-based concrete conglomerate Cemex Ltd has withdrawn its planning bid for a conveyor belt through Coed Cwm Slade, an ancient woodland to the north east of Wenvoe – just hours before Vale of Glamorgan councillors were due to debate the issue
Nature conservation group Conservation Glamorgan has mounted a vigorous campaign, backed by the Woodland Trust, to save the wood - with more than 1000 people writing to the Council. Objectors still converged in person on the Council’s Civic offices where the planning meeting was due to take place to voice their opinion.
“It’s clearly excellent news that Cemex have retracted their application at the last minute, but it does raise the question of whether they’ll try to submit another application that avoids contravening the European Habitats Directive” said Graham Bradley, Woods Under Threat officer for the Woodland Trust.
The Cemex planning application involved bulldozing a corridor through the wood to make way for a giant conveyor belt to carry limestone from a proposed new quarry to the south, this would have had a detrimental effect on the whole wood, particularly dormouse and otter habitats, which are protected under the European Habitats Directive.
It would also have destroyed 0.19 hectare (0.46 acres) of ancient woodland. Since 2002, ancient woodland in Wales has had protection under the planning system, Paragraph 5.2.8 of Planning Policy Wales, the Welsh Assembly’s planning policy, states: “Ancient and semi-natural woodlands are irreplaceable habitats of high biodiversity value which should be protected from development that would result in significant damage.”
This is the second Ancient Woodland decision for Vale of Glamorgan planners in less than four weeks. On January 18th, they threw out an application for development at Pencoedtre Wood.
For media enquiries contact:
Lea Hughes (Campaigns Officer for Wales) on 07760 171174
Email leahughes@woodland-trust.org.uk
or Rory Francis on 01766 832 563
or The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Notes for editors
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk The Trust adopted a new Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
